33.8 percent of the territorial extension of the Pinar del Río province is included in the Turquino Plan, a program that on June 2 reached 36 years of creation, and whose purpose is the integral development of these areas, in the productive and social spheres, on the basis of environmental conservation.
Within that area there are 76 population settlements, seven urban and 69 rural, the inhabitants represent just over a tenth of the people of Pinar del Río, guaranteeing basic services to them is a challenge, given the geographical characteristics and dispersion in nine municipalities.
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS
The unquestionable beauty of the western mountains makes them spaces with potential for the sustainable development of nature, historical and cultural tourism, as well as the promotion of various agricultural activities.
The deterioration of the roads, insufficient availability of means of transportation for the transfer of cargo and passengers, as well as the deficient state of the water supply networks, are difficulties that the residents of these properties deal with, and an incentive for migration. towards other places.
Solving these problems will not only have an impact on the quality of life of the inhabitants, but will also allow men and women to carry out economic activities in these picturesque places that will benefit all of society.
Due to the characteristics of these environments, they are ideal for beekeeping, coffee growing, fruit trees and increasing forest heritage, just to mention some of the most lucrative activities, among which it is worth including extensive pig farming.
Training in essential trades for these localities, such as blacksmiths, palm toppers, yarey weavers… must be a priority in order to preserve customs linked to the essence of the mountain people; without this being at odds with access to professional training or materializing other opportunities that in the long run allow tradition and modernity to overlap.
Among the customs rooted in the fields is the preservation of food, which today pays tribute to job creation and implementation of the Food and Nutrition Security and Sovereignty (SAN) program.
Sainé Toledo Martínez, administrator of the “La Complaciente” mini-industry, in the popular council of San Andrés, in the municipality of La Palma, explains that they take advantage of the harvest peaks of the different fruits; For example, they produced three tons of mango pulp in the month of June, she assures that it is of excellent quality, they bottle it and it is well received by their customers.
Banana, cassava, coconut, are other products that they process. They have contracts with various local cooperatives, which allows the group of six workers to work steadily and contribute to satisfying the needs of their compatriots.
The different production structures also contribute to the fact that in the kitchen where they ensure food for the two daycare centers in the community, there is fresh food, says Jesús Cruz Gutiérrez, who runs the center in which the search for alternatives is a daily task.
Faced with the fuel deficit, they created an artisanal charcoal stove, they did it themselves, aware that their contribution to the care and education of infants is essential so that mothers continue to be active entities from their different positions in society.
A LITTLE MORE
Schools, medical offices, video and television rooms are other institutions with a presence in the mountains, although not all of them have the optimal state of construction or the ideal equipment, they are spaces from which work is done for the education, health and culture of the inhabitants.
The mountains did not escape the ravages of Ian as it passed through the territory, compensating for the damage is a gradual process in which basic services such as water supply, food processing, communications and recovery of educational facilities and facilities are prioritized. of medical assistance.
The Turquino Plan seeks direct benefits for the men and women who safeguard natural wealth, custodians of our most ancient, hard-working and friendly peasant traditions. Simple mountaineers, for whom Cuban society designed a program with the intention of lessening the rigors of rural life.
